As Nottinghamshire Hospice launches an annual Light up a Life campaign, it has shared new statistics about the support it’s given to local NHS hospitals. 

Last year the hospice, based at Nottingham but also covering the Mansfield area, said it: 

·Provided 31,101 hours of care in people’s homes.  

·8 out of 10 of Nottinghamshire Hospice patients would have been in hospital if it weren’t for its care. 

·Nottinghamshire Hospice care prevented 126 hospital admissions per month. 

The news comes as the hospice launches its annual winter fundraising campaign – Light up a Life.

Each year, the hospice asks people to donate in memory of a loved one, so that its care can go to other local families that need it.  

Louisa Shaw-Yeoman (pictured), a registered nurse at Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “I’m so proud to work for a charity that goes above and beyond, and helps people die surrounded by their loved ones. 86% of our Hospice in Your Home services takes place at night – that means we face ice, darkness and fog every single year.  

“I can remember my car skidding across the road before reaching one patient. Their house was cold and damp, so I did my best to make sure him, his wife and young children were comfortable during those final hours.  

“By sending us their dedication and donations, people are making sure that others have the support they need in one of the most difficult moments of their life.” 

Nottinghamshire Hospice is a charity that provides wellbeing activities, end-of-life care, and bereavement support to people affected by incurable illnesses across Nottinghamshire. Support is free to patients and their loved ones, but it costs the hospice £300 for a member of its care team to stay overnight at a patient’s home.  

Money will be raised this winter through donations to its online appeal, with messages of dedication being added as stars to an online, virtual night sky. Members of the public can also purchase a forget-me-not pin badge, or light up the hospice’s famous tower in a colour of their choice in memory of someone they have lost.  

The hospice will also host two public in-memory events, on Sunday 3 December. More information about the hospice, its care, the Light up a Life appeal and event can be found at nottshospice.org/light